Earthquake of magnitude 4.2 strikes Xinjiang

Xinjiang [China], September 8 (ANI): An earthquake of magnitude 4.2 struck Xinjiang on Monday, according to a statement by the National Centre for Seismology (NCS).

As per the NCS, the earthquake occurred at a depth of 50km.

In a post on X, the NCS said, “EQ of M: 4.2, On: 08/09/2025 05:13:32 IST, Lat: 37.95 N, Long: 75.32 E, Depth: 50 Km, Location: Xinjiang.”

Earlier on Sunday, an earthquake of magnitude 4.1 struck China at a shallow depth of 10km, making it susceptible to aftershocks.

In a post on X, the NCS said, “EQ of M: 4.1, On: 07/09/2025 15:50:11 IST, Lat: 32.54 N, Long: 92.58 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: China.”

Shallow earthquakes are generally more dangerous than deep earthquakes. This is because the seismic waves from shallow earthquakes have a shorter distance to travel to the surface, resulting in stronger ground shaking and potentially more damage to structures and greater casualties.

China is located between the two largest seismic belts, ie the circum-Pacific seismic belt and the circum-Indian seismic belt. Squeezed by the Pacific plate, the Indian plate and the Philippine plate, the seismic fracture zones are well developed in this area. Ever since we entered the 20th century, more than 800 earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater have happened in China. Earthquakes have happened in almost all the provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions except in Guizhou, Zhejiang and Hong Kong.

Ever since 1900, over 5,50,000 people died in earthquakes in China, which takes up 53% of the total casualties in earthquakes around the world. Ever since 1949, more than 100 destructive earthquakes have happened in the provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions of China, among which 14 of them are provinces in East China, as per the Science Museums of China.

These earthquakes caused the death of more than 2,70,000 people, which took up 54% of the total death toll caused by natural disasters in China. The earthquake-stricken districts cover an area of 300,000 square kilometres, and more than 7 million rooms were destroyed by earthquakes. The earthquakes and other natural calamities are becoming the main threats to China in peaceful times. (ANI)

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